


Brunch

by elletromil



Series: Tonight you belong to me [3]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Everybody Lives, M/M, Polyamory Negotiations, Pre Poly-v relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2020-01-05 17:45:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18370964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elletromil/pseuds/elletromil
Summary: “You’re talking about getting in a triad.”Harry and Eggsy are finally ready to sit down with Merlin to talk about their idea. And this time, there's actually a brunch involved.





	Brunch

**Author's Note:**

> This should have been the last part of this 'verse, but there will be at least two more parts, but more like fillers than anything.  
> This chapter went very differently than what I thought it would go, but I am actually happier with it than what I had first imagined, so I guess that's good :)

“Hey Harry! What brings you to my lair?”

At Ginger's comment, they hear a faint grunt of disagreement from a corner of the room, but neither of them acknowledge it. Sure, this is going to be Merlin's office at the shop, but Harry isn't about to make the same mistakes Statesman did for years.

Whatever situation she's in, wherever she stands, she'll always be the most capable and smartest person in the room. It's a shame inner politics kept Ginger from being a field agent for so long at Statesman. Harry would make her a Knight in a heartbeat if he knew she wasn't so loyal to her organisation.

But it's not because he won’t ever be able to steal her away that he'll treat her without the respect and awe she deserves. That he won't do anything in his power to show her she'll always be welcomed here. And for all his grumpiness, Merlin agrees with him too. He wouldn't have allowed her to help with his private office if he didn't have utter faith in her.

“I'm actually here to take Merlin home, if you can spare him.” He doesn't venture farther than Ginger's side into the room. He's not too sure what they're doing right now, only that it involves a myriad of cables and unidentified parts littering the floor. He'd rather not have to be rushed to the hospital for a tetanus shot if he can avoid it.

“Oh please, take him away. And keep him for at least a day or two.”

Merlin emerges from under a desk and somehow avoids stepping on any part of the uncontrolled chaos at his feet. “Hey!”

He's about to say more, probably to protest Ginger banishing him from his own office but one pointed look suffice to shut him up. Harry wonders if she would consider becoming their Arthur if he asked nicely enough. He's sure she would be better at it than he is.

“Merlin, you're a dear, but you're also one blink away from electrocuting yourself and setting this building on fire. You need a break and so do I. Now shoo, I'll secure everything and lock it up.”

Merlin starts to protest some more, but falls silent when Harry takes hold of his wrist and gives it a gentle tug.

“Come on, we need rest.”

He doesn’t agree, at least not out loud, but he follows Harry outside in silence. Knowing Merlin as he knows him, Harry is certain that he’s burning to ask him what this is about.

After all, aside from Kingsman-related meetings, this is the longest they have spent together since Harry’s miraculous return from the dead. But Merlin is also a very private person. This is not something he would ask while they’re waiting on the curb for a taxi.

Because even if the headquarters have been destroyed when Poppy killed most of the Knights, a lot of the support personnel only learned what had happened later on. And most of them decided to come back when Harry approached them when he returned to London with Merlin and Eggsy.

His usual driver is one of them and Harry has been glad for it more times than he cares to count. It’s not that he wouldn’t trust other Kingsman employees, but he’s used to Luther and Luther is used to him. He doesn’t feel bad about asking him to drive him around whenever a migraine makes it inadvisable he gets behind the wheel.

“You okay?” Merlin bumps their elbows together lightly, startling Harry out of his thoughts and he finally notices the car that has stopped close by.

He doesn’t answer as he starts walking towards it, gallantly opening the door for Merlin to climb in first. Luther starts driving as soon as they’re buckled in without a word. He’s never been interested in chit chat, nor gossip. He likes getting paid to drive as well as the occasional following people around or shaking a tail.

It’s a fact Merlin knows too, which is probably the only reason why he insists after it’s clear Harry won’t be answering his initial question.

“Is it a migraine?”

Harry shakes his head. He’s about to leave it at that until he realises just how worried Merlin looks. “No, not a migraine. Just the beginning of a regular headache. But it’s nothing a good breakfast won’t fix.” He offers Merlin a tired but genuine smile and the man nods slowly in return. He doesn’t quite relax, but he doesn’t look suspicious either.

“Isn’t it a bit late for breakfast?”

It’s past eight o’clock at night after all. Usually, Harry would agree with him. But this is nothing like usual.

“Hmm, yes. But Eggsy is still jet-lagged and just woke up, so he’s decided to cook us all brunch.”

“Ah. Right, of course.” Merlin doesn’t look guilty even if Harry knows he’ll probably apologize first thing to Eggsy for having missed his return from his mission for Statesman. They all know that some things cannot be helped when one is a spy, especially while Kingsman is still in the reconstruction stages, but Merlin has always been a considerate partner. If rebuilding Kingsman internal network wasn’t such a big priority, he would have made time to welcome Eggsy home. “Guess I really needed a break. Thank you.”

Another time, he might have rubbed it in his face, since it’s so very rare for Merlin to admit Harry of all people is right, but tonight he just accepts the gratitude without a word.

Not that he doesn’t know what to say to Merlin. But now that he is finally sitting down with him in relative privacy, he finds that there is a lot he wants to tell him. A lot he wants to ask him. Too much.

He cannot choose where to start and his frustration isn’t helping his building headache. For a second, he thinks he even see the fluttering of butterfly wings at the corner of his vision, but then, fingers press against the inside of his wrist and he focuses back to Merlin.

“I’m glad you’re taking one too. You’ve been working so hard for all of us.”

Harry’s old enough that he really doesn’t need anyone’s approval. Yet, he would be a liar if he pretended his insides didn’t twist pleasantly at Merlin’s recognition. It’s nice to know that it’s more than just Eggsy who has noticed all that he is trying to achieve for the people who have become his family over the decades.

If they were sitting closer, he might have gone for a sideway hug or at least rested his head on Merlin’s shoulder for a bit. But there’s still an awkward distance between them, both literal and figurative, so instead, he just slides his hand in Merlin’s grip until he can lightly squeeze their fingers together.

It’s more comforting than it should be when Merlin refuses to let go for the remainder of the ride.

*

Their offer to help Eggsy in the kitchen for the finishing touch on breakfast is met with a firm refusal paired with a shooing motion.

If Merlin agrees to what they want to discuss tonight, Harry won’t let himself be treated as a guest, but for now, it’s better to act like Eggsy and him are on the same page even on such small issues.

He makes sure Merlin sits at the head of the table, which earns him a look of suspicion he shrugs off with a nonchalance he doesn’t really feel. It can’t be helped at this point anyway. Not when Harry is about to share a meal with them after having done his best to avoid them for the past months.

What matters is that Merlin will see Eggsy and Harry on equal footing when they finally tell him about Eggsy’s suggestion. He knows that Merlin wouldn’t agree if he had any reason to think he can’t treat them both fairly and equally. Or if he doubts in any way their respective commitment to make it work.

“So what’s this?” Merlin asks as soon as all the food is served and Eggsy joins them at the table. “An intervention? I assure you both, I’m not actually overworking myself.”

Eggsy shakes his head. “It’s not that at all babe.”

The pet name nearly makes Harry snorts. If he had ever tried calling Merlin that, he’d probably have had his balls fed to him or something. But from Eggsy, it does sound right. Sounds just as fond when Harry would call Merlin ‘darling’.

“What is it then?” Merlin prompts when it becomes clear that Eggsy won’t be saying more.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to, Harry can see that. But apparently the words that had been so easy to come when he had had that discussion with Harry, aren’t as much with Merlin. Which is fair enough. There’s so much more at stakes with Merlin than there was with him. One way or another, something will change irremediably tonight.

“First, I wanted to apologize to you Merlin,” he starts and holds up a hand so neither men try to interrupt him. “I pushed you away when you probably needed me the most and that’s something I’ll always be ashamed of.”

“Don’t be so dramatic Harry! We both weren’t in the best of place to reconnect.” It’s true and Harry knows it. He might have gotten his memories back, but even now he is still dealing with the aftermath of being shot in the face. Add to that the fact that Merlin had just lost both legs and it would have been the perfect recipe for disaster. But that’s not enough to absolve him from the guilt. “Not to mention that I-”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence Hamish.” He presses a finger against his lips just in case and glares. He’s not an idiot, Merlin’s quick glance in Eggsy’s direction before he opened his mouth is all he needed to know where this was going. “Don’t you _dare_ apologizing for falling in love with Eggsy.”

He is still glaring and Merlin at least has the decency to look sheepish when Harry removes his finger. Though he doesn’t hold Harry’s gaze for very long, instead turning all his attention to Eggsy as he grabs his hand and brings it to his mouth to kiss his knuckles.

“I’m sorry lad. I never meant to imply I regret any moment of our time together. I could never regret loving you.”

Eggsy rolls his eyes, but he doesn’t look mad, just fondly exasperated. “I know that. And so does Harry.”

“I do, yes,” he finally agrees after Eggsy gives him a small kick under the table, “but some things should never be given voice. Even if it’s known by all that it’s not what was meant.”

From the corner of his eye, he sees Merlin turn to him in confusion, but Eggsy knows exactly what he means and kicks him again, this time with a little more force.

“Harry, I swear to God, if you try to apologize to me one more time for the fight after that stupid test, I’m hitting you over the head with a pan.”

Somehow, Harry has no doubt that he really would. “I wasn’t about to.” He wishes he could say he said it with dignity, but even to his own ears, he sounds like a petulant child.

Eggsy eyes him up suspiciously, as if Harry will try to sneak up a ‘sorry’ at him any second now.

“Alright, so now that we’ve established no one’s owing anyone an apology, would you care to tell me what’s happening?”

Of course Merlin would know that if he’s here tonight, it’s not to clear air between them. Eggsy’s presence would have been unnecessary if it was that.

Before Harry can start explaining however, Eggsy finally seems to have found the right words.

“What’s happening is that yeah, you love me, we all know it. But you’re also still in love with Harry. And so is he with you.”

“Lad-”

“Don’t try to deny it! I knew you would always be in love with him even when we thought he was dead. I’ve never minded, because you’ve never made me feel like you were comparing us! And that’s why, that’s why I wanna try and see if instead of living with his ghost, we could actually live with him?”

There’s a moment of silence during which Harry doesn’t dare to breathe. He’s pretty sure Eggsy doesn’t either.

“You’re talking about getting in a triad.” There’s something like disbelief in Merlin’s voice as he says it. But as looks at them both one after the other, there’s no mistaking the sliver of hope in his eyes.

“Well, more a ‘V’ than a triad. I like Harry just fine, but I have no desire to snog him in a corner.”

“And neither do I,” he adds with an amused snort, just to make sure Merlin doesn’t get the crazy idea that he’s secretly pining after Eggsy. “As you can probably tell, we’ve talked a bit about it together before bringing it up to you.” Somehow, it is the wrong thing to say because when Merlin turns to him again, the glimmer of hope is entirely gone and he only looks angry.

“So this is how you’ll make me choose? Either we do this or I lose you completely is that it?”

Eggsy makes a distressed sound in the back of his throat, but seem too shocked by Merlin’s outburst to actually say anything. Not that it is his place to do so. It’s obvious that Merlin’s isn’t doubting _his_ motivation. Only Harry’s. Not that he can blame him.

“No you stupid Scot. This is me telling you I’m done being an arse. I haven’t been in a good place and to be honest, I’m not quite there yet. But I’m done feeling sorry for myself. Even if your answer is no, I’m not going anywhere. We were friends before we became partners, we can be that again. It would probably be a better idea in fact. What you’ve got with Eggsy, it’s strong. I’d have to be blind not to see it. Heck, he wouldn’t have come up with that suggestion if it wasn’t.”

“Harry-”

“I’m not saying that what we had wasn’t just as good Hamish.” He continues as if he hadn’t been interrupted. He’s been mulling over this since Eggsy took him out for tea. He has to get it out. “But that’s the thing. It’s what we _had_. It’s in the past now. We’re different men from the men we were before I left for Kentucky. And I want to find out who that man is. But I don’t want you to give up on your happiness with Eggsy. It’s part of who you are now. So I’ll go along with your decision, but a ‘no’ doesn’t mean I’m going away either. Just that I’ll have to learn how to be your friend again instead.”

He’d be okay with that, truly. Would it hurt at first? Undoubtedly. But after the last few months trying to just avoid any kind of contact with him, a little bit of heartbreak in exchange for his friendship sounds more than worth it.

Merlin reaches out to take his hand, all anger gone, his eyes soft like he hasn’t seen them in a long while. He links their fingers together and squeeze tightly, as if afraid that even after such a speech, Harry is going to disappear.

“I- I want to say yes, but only under one condition.”

“Babe, you don’t have to jump into it.” Eggsy takes his free hands between his, rubbing his thumbs in soothing circles on the inside of his palm. “It doesn’t come with a time limit, you can think about it a bit.”

Harry nods in agreement. Of course, it would be nice to have an answer tonight, but even if Merlin were just to tell he would think about it, it would be enough for now.

“I’m not jumping into anything lad, don’t worry. And even if I were, it will take time to figure everything out, just like any other relationship. So yes, I want to try, see where _this_ is taking us,” he gives Harry’s hand another squeeze while he links the fingers of his other hand with one of Eggsy’s, “but like I said, under one condition. It’s something we’ve already discussed you and I, so I don’t think you’ll mind, so it’ll be up to Harry.”

Harry can see Eggsy frown in confusion for a beat right until he starts grinning. “Yeah, no, if it’s what I think, I don’t mind.”

Merlin returns the smirk and Harry starts wondering if maybe he’s made a mistake. He trust them with his life and his heart, but he really doesn’t like being left in the dark like this.

Thankfully, Merlin takes pity on him not too long after.

“We want you to take the guest room until you figure if you want to buy a new house or get a flat or whatever. You can’t keep going as you’ve been.”

Somehow, he’s more surprised that he didn’t figure out this was coming than he is by the invitation. He should have known they had given up too quickly back when they had just returned to London and Merlin had offered him his guest room since his own house had been blown up to smithereens.

“What’s wrong with my hotel room?” He asks with all the indignation he can muster, but Merlin doesn’t seem very impressed. Neither does Eggsy.

“The problem is that it’s supposed to be temporary and you’ve been there for months Harry.” Eggsy frees his hand from Merlin’s hold and covers both his and Merlin’s hands instead. “You deserve some place to go _home_ to at the end of the day.”

It’s in moments like these that Harry wonders why he’s not head over heels with Eggsy too. He doesn’t regret it in any way of course. Couldn’t regret it. Not when what they share runs deeper than most of his other relationships if he excludes the one he has - had- will have?- with Merlin. But it is still very weird to have the conviction that had he gone left instead of right one day, he could have ended in romantic bliss with Eggsy while at the same have no desire whatsoever to even kiss him.

“And I refuse to finish a date with you in a hotel room like a dirty secret.” Merlin’s voice breaks through Harry’s ponderings and looks to the side to see him glaring at him, as if challenging him to voice an objection.

But Harry doesn’t want to protest. Hasn’t want to for weeks now. In the safety of Merlin and Eggsy’s dining room, he can admit that he’s exhausted and he wants only one thing.

To come _home_.

And home, home is right here, right now, with the two men currently holding his hands.

“Alright, I’ll take the guest room.”

Home is the two smiles he receives for his answer.


End file.
